


Thanks To You, I Can play Again

by cheezitsnackmix



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, M/M, angst ig??, i hate real children but i would die for a fictional one, maybe some spicy stuff but we'll see, no beta we die like men, takes place in America, the pov switches sometimes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:20:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27431911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheezitsnackmix/pseuds/cheezitsnackmix
Summary: Akaashi returns to America when he needed a change of scenery and he finds himself back in his home town. After Bokuto cut off all communication between them for some unknown reason, they hadn't spoken in years but not they're suddenly face to face once again and Akaashi ended up getting into something he wasn't really prepared for, but he honestly doesn't mind.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 10
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry that the summary is so bad *slaps hand over mouth* but it is 3:37 am when im posting and there are definitely mistakes somewhere but oh well. anyways, enjoy!!

Akashi has had a love for music ever since he could remember. When growing up with parents who were musicians, how could he not? They were an older couple compared to most kids parents but they always had a warm and exciting feeling to them, and Akashi liked to believe that the music in their lives had caused this. 

This was at least until his second to last year of highschool when his father suddenly passed away. The loss of his father had caused a shift to take place in his home and the warm feeling that radiated from his parents was now gone and left with nothing but a cold and empty space. 

Akashi knew that his mother would have a hard time coping with the sudden loss but he never expected her to move them to the other side of the world and blame it on the fact that his study of the violin would thrive there. 

Seeing how she was in distress, Akashi followed her to France without a complaint but saying goodbye to his friends and leaving everything he knew was still painful. 

Though he didn’t have many, the ones that he made from playing volleyball had become an extension of his pre-existing family. They understood what needed to be done and sent him off with eyes full of tears and smiles that made Akashi think that maybe everything was going to be alright. Kuroo and Kenma had promised to stay in touch as best they could and the Karasuno boys gave him wishes of good luck.

Saying goodbye to Bokuto was the hardest part by far. 

After those three years of being friends, they had become so close, inseparable even. When there was Akashi there was also Bokuto, no matter what was happening. The thought of suddenly leaving his friend created a gut-wrenching pain in the pit of his stomach but Akashi didn’t have a say in the matter and they left not even a month after the school year had ended. 

The first year after leaving America had been stressful but at least he was able to communicate with Bokuto and the others. Bokuto had made sure to text him everyday and keep him in the loop of things that were happening with their friends and how his first year of college was going. This helped ease the pain of leaving. 

His mother had enrolled him into some fancy school where he spent most of his time learning French and when he wasn’t doing that, he was forced to play violin for hours upon end. With all of his time being spent on practice, Akaashi wasn’t able to meet many people besides the ones who were in his classes. He could feel his love for music slowly disintegrating as he was immersed into solitude but he continued his studies nonetheless. 

He was able to tolerate everything around him until Bokuto had gone radio silent and none of the others would tell him why. Akashi didn't know how or why it happened. Did he do something wrong or did he just not want to be friends anymore? Either way he wasn’t given enough time to dwell on it because he was being thrown into fierce competitions and focused all his attention on that instead. 

As the years went by he decided to just stop asking about Bokuto, seeing as no one was ever going to tell him anything anyways. It stung that Bokuto didn’t want to be friends anymore but then he met Oikawa and Iwaizumi. They were a strange pair and at first Akashi wasn’t a big fan of Oikawa. He would always flaunt how talented at piano he was and make it seem like he was so much better than everyone else (which he was, but Akaashi nor Iwaizumi would ever tell him that). Iwaizumi kept him in line when he got out of hand though and Akashi couldn’t help but feel the need to be around them and so there he stayed for years to come.

With them all being musicians, they tended to play music together. They would play all types of music, from the shitty pop songs that you would hear on the radio (All of which were chosen by Oikawa), to pieces that were for important upcoming events. Although there were only three of them, no one ever overpowered the others while playing. The way Oikawa’s fingertips gently pressed the keys of the piano, Iwaizumi’s strong frame became relaxed as the cello was pressed up against his chest, and Akaashi gentle but firm sound, they were perfectly balanced and sounded amazing together. Even so, Akashi was growing tired of how things were. He was twenty nine now and all he would do every day is get up, play, go back home and sleep, just to get up and do the same thing all over again. He needed something different and exciting in his life. 

He was surprised when Oikawa suggested going back to America as a change of scenery. How many years has it been since he was there? Twelve years maybe? What would he even do when he finally returned? 

After enduring hours of nagging from Oikawa and the occasional comments from Iwaizumi, Akashi agreed to head back to America for at least four months. Considering that he was lucky enough to make a decent amount of money from playing gigs, Akaashi was able to rent a hotel room for that time. He knew his childhood home wasn’t being used but the being there by himself just didn’t sit right. This is how he ended up in the same grocery store he would visit as a child with his mother and father on a Friday night searching for the ingredients he needed to make dinner instead of ordering greasy takeout for the fourth time this week. The store had obviously changed since he was last there but a sense of comfort washed over him as he spotted the candy machine that has been there since he was a kid. 

Walking over to it, Akashi placed his basket full of food on the ground and inserted a quarter into the slot. He pressed the button and waited for the candy to roll out but none came. Akashi sighed as he remembered the ritual you had to go through when trying to retrieve a candy from this particular machine. After taking a step back he flew through the motions like he had all those years ago. He taped the top part of the contraption twice, lightly kicked its side, waited a moment and then kicked it again. The candy came spilling out into his hand. He smiled sadly at the candy in his palm, remembering how he and Bokuto would stop here after practice just for these sweets. 

“You look kind of sad for someone who just got some candy.” Surprised by the sudden voice, Akashi turned and found himself staring at a young girl no older than thirteen. She had black hair that fell to her shoulders, a gray streak that flowed through her bangs and a small beauty mark that was placed above her lip. She wore a middle school uniform that he didn’t recognize and had a book that was held tightly to her chest. She looked conflicted on whether or not she wanted to continue speaking to Akaashi. 

“I’m not particularly sad,” Akaashi said with a sigh, “Just reminiscing I guess.” The small girl stared at him confused for a moment, shrugged and then began moving closer to him, putting aside the topic of Akaashi looking so glum. 

“What’s that weird looking case on your back?” She pointed to the case that peaked out from behind his head. 

“It’s a violin.” answered Akaashi simply. The girl's eyes seemed to widen in astonishment when he had told her, causing him to let out a small laugh. “Do you like music?” She nodded fiercely and began to fiddle with the book in her grasp. 

Akaashi held out his hand to the girl to offer her a piece of candy that had fallen from the machine and then shoved the rest into the back pocket of his jeans after she took a piece. He removed the case that was strapped to his back and kneeled down on the floor with it, the small child copied his actions as he moved. She watched in awe as Akaashi began to unzip the case revealing a beautiful violin that had a red tint. 

“Can you play for me?” Asked the girl looking up at Akaashi then back down at the instrument. He noticed that her eyes seemed wider now and even looked as though they were sparkling. 

“Maybe some other time, condersidering as how we are in a grocery store at the moment.” Akaashi chuckled but felt disappointed, seeing as the young girl seemed to be so sad from not being able to hear him play. 

The two were suddenly interrupted by the sound of yelling and thunderous footsteps echoing through the store. The person that was yelling must have been related to the girl because her facial expressions changed from sad to annoyed when the sound got louder. 

“Is someone looking for you?” asked Akaashi once he realized that the person was yelling something that must have been the girl’s name. She nodded her head slowly, looking embarrassed, and Akaashi began rezipping his case. 

After standing up and putting his case back onto his back, Akaashi grabbed his basket that was placed on the floor, and lent his hand to the child, helping her up. He began leading her to the sound of the voice and after walking down an aisle or two, they came across the owner of the voice. From where they stood the girl called out to the figure.

“Dad you can stop yelling now!” She shouted a little too loudly which surprised Akaashi considering how she was so soft spoken a moment before. The man at the other end of the aisle stopped and began to turn around.

“Wakumi there you are! Kuroo and I were looking everywhere for you! You know Kenma is gonna kill me if he finds out that you wondered off alone-” The stranger suddenly stopped his sentence half way and just as he did Akaashi realized just who this girl belonged to. Eyes wide and mouth agape, Akaashi spoke. 

“B-Bokuto-san?” 

“Oh Hi Akaashi.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small glimpse into Bokuto and Akaashi's highschool years and maybe Akaashi has gotten himself in too deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey ya'll, just a few things I wanted to say before you read the next chapter. You can skip this if you want but if you don't that's cool too.   
> anyways  
> sorry that it took me so long to update this but school is kinda stressful and I'm trying to get all caught up with one piece (currently on episode 552). It's probably gonna take me a while to update this fic but i promise that I'm gonna complete it because I'm in love with some of the ideas i have. also i realized that I have no clue how to write Bokuto so if its really bad please yell at me in the comments lol.   
> also i was wondering if ya'll would rather the chapters to be longer and there be less of them in the end or more of them but they're shorter.   
> That's all for now!! enjoy :)

Akaashi had always liked Bokuto. Though the kind of like he felt towards him was different to others, even if he didn’t realize it yet.

With them being a year apart, Bokuto and Akaashi didn’t have any classes with each other during the day, meaning when they wanted to hang out before volleyball practice, it was done during their lunch period.

The classroom they occupied was the old music room on the first floor. Bokuto would complain that the room was too stuffy and dark but when Akaashi would start playing on the old piano in the room or pull out his violin, he would just quietly sit with his back to the wall and eat his lunch.

The only time Akaashi had seen Bokuto calm and quiet was when he played his music; it didn’t even matter what he was playing. The older boy would always sit and close his eyes, letting the sweet sounds relieve him of any stress and tension that had accumulated during the day.

The one thing that Akaashi loved was seeing Bokuto fall asleep when listening. For some reason watching Bokuto sleep had fascinated him. The way the boys head rested on the back wall with his mouth hanging slightly open and even on the days when he was in a particularly heavy sleep, snoring softly and drool seeping from the corners of his mouth. 

He honestly should have thought it was gross and if it had been anyone else, he would have. But it was Bokuto, and Akaashi loved everything that Bokuto was.

**

Surprised was one way to describe how Akaashi was feeling at the moment. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to scream, cry or just quickly run far away from the man that was staring at him from the other side of the aisle.

It’s just his luck that the shy girl who intrigued Akaashi with her appreciation for music, just so happens to be related to Bokuto.  Isn’t it funny how things work out. 

“Do you know each other?” still standing next to Akaashi, Wakumi questioned the two and Akaashi nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak. The urge to run strengthened as Akaasi watched Bokuto nod his head quietly and with little movement just like he had done.

Looking at her father and then back at Akaashi, Wakumi shrugged. She either didn’t feel the tension in the air or just chose to ignore it because not even a second later she was grabbing on to Akaashi with the hand that was not occupied by the book in her grasp and began pulling him along with her, past Bokuto and out the aisle.

“Hey, hey, hey, where do you think you’re going now?” Bokuto yelled as he trailed behind them. Without looking behind her the girl yelled back to him.

“Since you know Akaashi, I think that he should come have dinner with us!” 

Akaashi was shocked to see the girl make such a remark, seeing as they had just met and until just a second ago, he was a complete stranger. He also noticed that though she was shy when speaking with Akaashi, when talking to her father, or rather someone she was comfortable with, she was just as loud and bright as Akaashi remembered Bokuto to be. 

Wakumi resembled Bokuto physically in only a few ways but those traits stood out to him the most. Although her hair was mostly black, the one strand of gray that went through her bangs was the same color as the grays on top of Bokuto's head, and it wasn’t just that that they had in common. Her eyes were exactly the same golden color as his, and looking at them made Akashi remember that he always felt that if he looked at them too long, they would be able to tell his deepest, darkest secret. 

Akaashi thought of all these things as he was dragged along by the small girl towards the check out. He was never particularly fond of children nor did he dream of having any of his own but she honestly seemed like such an amazing kid and Akaashi hasn’t even known her that long. He wondered if this was one of the reasons for Bokuto's silence.

His train of thought was interrupted with the presents of another familiar figure. Kuroo stood near the check out, lazily leaning on a kart full of food and looking at something on his phone. 

Over the years Kuroo had kept his promise of keeping in touch, though it wasn’t that often anymore. Their communication was now reduced to exchanges of messages when things like birthdays or holidays came around.

“Uncle Kuroo! I made a new friend and he’s really cool! Look, he plays the violin!” 

Looking up from his device, Kuroo’s eyes widened as he spotted a pale looking Akaashi being pulled along by the now not so shy, younger girl.

Akaashi watched as Kuroo looked behind them at Bokuto with a worried expression. 

Paying no attention to the atmosphere around her yet again, Wakumi began telling Kuroo how Akaashi had shown her his instrument. He chuckled awkwardly as he listened to Wakumi and pushed the full kart into a check out lane where she began unloading the kart onto the conveyor belt. 

Akaashi was amazed to see that although Kuroo was so blatantly uncomfortable with the situation, pulled Akaashi into a back breaking hug. After pulling away, Kuroo smiled sadly at him and then glanced at the man behind them once more.

Bokuto slid past where Akaashi was standing and pulled out his wallet, paying for the grocery’s. Once their food was bagged, the three patiently waited for Akaashi to pay for his own items before they all exited the store. 

In all honesty, Akaashi just wanted to head back to his hotel room and lock himself in there for the next four months or maybe even book a plane ticket back home, but when Wakumi asked him to join them for dinner with such wide puppy dog eyes, he couldn’t possibly say no. 

  
  


**

Upon arriving at Bokuto's apartment, Akaashi was shocked to find that not only were he and Wakumi living here but also Kuroo and Kenma. When venturing deeper into the home, Akaashi noticed that the apartment was definitely way too small for three grown men and a young girl to be living there. 

Kuroo had informed him that it was a two bedroom, one bath and Wakumi pointed out that her bedroom was down the hall to the right, meaning that Kuroo and Kenma resided in the other. He wondered where Bokuto slept but when he saw a pile of blankets and a pillow tucked away near the couch, he pushed that thought away. 

When reaching the kitchen, Wakumi began helping her father unload their groceries into their rightful places and Kuroo shuffled past towards his room.

“Um Akaashi?” Bokuto asked softly, almost as if he were scared. 

“Yes Bokuto-san?” answered Akaashi with the same amount of energy. 

“Do you maybe wanna put your bags in the fridge until you’re ready to leave?” The way Bokuto spoke to Akaashi made his stomach turn. Never in his life did Akaashi imagine the loud, joyous, and energetic Bokuto speaking to him in such a timid way and barely making eye contact. 

“Yes, thank you.” 

Handing the bag to the other man, Akaashi smiled a bit in order to try and ease the tension between the two, though he knew by the way Bokuto's lips frowned a bit that he had seen through his fake smile. Choosing not to dwell on it, Bokuto turned to his daughter. 

“Wakumi honey, why don’t you go say hello to uncle Kenma and get changed while I heat up the leftovers that uncle Kuroo made last night.” The girl nodded and Akaashi watched as she rushed down the hall. It was odd, but in a strange way comforting, to see Bokuto speak to the girl in such a soft and calm way. When he turned back to Bokuto, he was now rummaging through the fridge and pulling out tupperwares filled with what looked like to be some sort of pasta. 

“You can sit at the table if you want while I get dinner ready.” He stopped what he was doing to point Akaashi to the table, still never making eye contact and only turned back around once he was seated. 

Silence filled the room with the two now being left alone and Akaashi was finally able to calm down and observe the man that worked in front of him. The first thing he noticed was that Bokuto’s hair wasn’t styled in those signature spikes anymore, leaving the locks to fall and cover his eyes a bit. It made sense that he no longer styled his hair that way, considering how he was thirty, but Akaashi couldn’t help but feel sad regardless. 

He was much more muscular now too. His broad shoulders and strong arms could be outlined in the sinfully tight workout shirt he wore. Akaashi had to look away in fear that Bokuto would catch him drooling over him. Although Bokuto hadn’t noticed his ogling, the small figure that emerged from the hallway sure did. 

Back when Bokuto had just started to ignore him, Kenma was the one who would reassure Akaashi. He had made it very clear that he could not tell Akaashi the reason behind the silence and that Bokuto did not hate him, though Akaashi still had his doubts about Bokuto not hating him, especially now.

Kenma looked exactly the same from the last time Akaashi had seen him except for the fact that his hair was now longer and pulled back into a ponytail, letting a few strands in the front fall onto his face. His hair was still blonde for the most part, though his roots needed to be redone. 

Moving quietly through the apparent, Kenma took the seat at the tablet directly across from Akaashi and once he was seated he pulled out his phone and began playing what looked like to be some candy related game. 

“It’s good to see you Akaashi,” said Kenma without looking up from his device. 

“You too Ken,” He could see the edge of his lips tug upwards at the sound of the nickname and Akaashi couldn’t help but smile. 

The sound of laughter had pulled them from their small moment but Akaashi really didn’t mind when he was met with the sight of Kuroo holding the young girl on his back and smiling widely. 

“Uncle Kuroo! I wanna sit next to Akaashi tonight!” 

Wakumi tugged lightly at Kuroo’s bed head as she spoke, emitting the familiar hyena laugh from his lungs. 

“Sure princess, but only if you promise to head straight to bed after we eat,” Wakumi whines and Akaashi couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. 

Walking over to Akaashi’s side of the table, Kuroo pulls out the second chair and Wakumi jumps down into the seat. Kuroo muttered something about being to old to still be giving the girl piggy back rides and she just laughed at him. 

“Do I really have to go tomorrow?” Wakumi says more softly now.

“Go where?” Akaashi questions, giving her a small smile in the process. 

“Wakumi has been taking piano lessons for the past month but she doesn’t like going for some reason.” Bokuto states and sighs as he emerges from the kitchen holding an impressive amount of hot bowls in his arms. Kuroo moves to help him and they both place the bowls onto the table. 

“You’re learning how to play piano? That’s really cool!” 

“Yeah it is really cool and I like it a lot! But I-“ Wakumi suddenly quiets and stabs a noodle with her fork, bringing it to her mouth. 

“She doesn’t like her teacher,” this time it was Kenma to interject. Akaashi could clearly see that from the way the girl spoke about the instrument, Wakumi really wanted to learn.

From Akaashi’s experience, a teacher could really make or break the learning process or enjoyment of music and he couldn’t help but feel for the small girl. 

“I could teach you instead if you would like.” 

Normally Akaashi thought before he spoke but in this situation he hadn’t. Thinking he would regret it as soon as the words spilled from his mouth, Akaashi was surprised to find that he didn’t and the smile that spread across Wakumi’s face had made it all worth it. 

Looking away from the girls bright smile, he was met with Bokuto’s sharp golden eyes and at that moment Akaashi realized that he had no idea what he had just gotten himself into.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a new teacher ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i wasn't gonna post this chapter this early but i ended up finishing it up extremely fast and i don't really know when i'll be posting next so here ya go. anyways  
> enjoy!!

Stress was something that Bokuto was rather familiar with and it was something that he knew how to manage. For Christ's sake he basically raised a baby on his own for three years before Kuroo and Kenma took them in and he’s still perfectly sane. Well, maybe not perfectly but, sane  _ enough.  _ It was worth it though; the stress. Waking up every morning and going to his shitty job with his shitty coworkers and shitty boss was  _ worth it _ because it meant coming home and seeing Wakumi’s bright smile. Watching her laugh and play without a care in the world. It meant everything to him. 

Now though… he wasn’t so sure that he could deal with it.

Seeing Akaashi after all these years had shook him and even though he felt elated to see the other man again, dread washed over him. It brought back a lot of unwanted memories and Akaashi probably hated him and wanted nothing to do with him but yet again, maybe not.

Ever since their first meeting in the grocery store and him offering to teach Wakumi piano, Bokuto has been in Akaashi’s presence two times a week. They still never talked about what had happened between them, and they only ever exchanged small ‘hellos’ and shy smiles. 

Wakumi’s piano teacher - now ex-piano teacher - was an older woman who lived alone with nothing but her grand piano and five cats that looked as if they were never bathed. Bokuto never really liked her and he was kind of glad that Akaashi had offered to teach his daughter. 

Since they didn’t have a piano, their lessons were held in a music studio not too far from their apartment. Although he refused to let Akaashi pay for the room every week, Akaashi insisted and in exchange at the end of every month Bokuto would just have to make him dinner. It was an odd request but he didn’t mind. If Wakumi was happy learning from Akaashi, he would push aside all his anxieties and do his best for her. 

** 

Sitting at her desk by the window, Wakumi watched as snow fell onto the ground. Today had been particularly slow with her lunch money being stolen again by a bunch of dumb boys and her hair being pulled by the snotty girl that sat behind her in science class. She would do anything to get out of school and head home but she was stuck there for another forty three minutes. 

English was her last class of the day and although she loved learning about different types of literature, and her teacher Mr. Sugawara, she couldn’t stop thinking about playing piano with Akaashi later today. 

Playing piano with Akaashi was fun. He didn’t pressure her when she was nervous and he actually let her play pieces that she wanted. He gave her words of encouragement and said she had a natural talent. Her old teacher never let her do anything other than play scales and it bored her out of her mind. 

Akaashi was fun, he made playing piano fun, and she liked him but she also noticed that he acted kind of weird around her dad. She didn’t know what it was though. She assumed that it had to do with something that happened in their past but she didn’t like the vibe they gave off around each other, and she was going to do something about it. 

When turning her head away from the window, Wakumi noticed that the period was over and a sheet of paper now occupied the space on her desk. The words  _ ‘Student Showcase’  _ were at the top in bold font and then suddenly a pair of hands were slamming down on her desk. Looking up, she smiled at the figure. Hinata Shouyou stood in front of her with a bright smile plastered on his face. Wakumi had met Shouyou back in second grade when he came between her and the group of bullies that were harassing her. He’s been her best friend ever since. 

“Hey Wakumi! Did you decide what you’re gonna do for the showcase?” 

“I honestly don’t know if I’m gonna participate to be honest.” 

“I think you should! You’re like really good at that one instrument! What was it again? Oh piano! You should play piano for the show case!”

“I've only been playing for a while Sho. I don’t know-“

“You play piano too Wakumi?” Said Yachi who was now standing beside Hinata. 

“Um…yeah I do,” answered Wakumi shyly. 

“Oh that’s great then! I was looking for someone to play a duet with for the showcase!” 

Looking up at the girl from her seat, Wakumi blushed. Yachi was actually talking to her, and it wasn’t just asking about the homework for the night, she couldn’t believe it. 

“You want me… to play with you in the showcase?”

“Yes of course! I think it would be really fun! What do you say?”

“S-sure I would love to play with you!” Blurted Wakumi, maybe a little too quickly.

“Great I’m so excited! Actually hold on a sec,” Yachi ran off back to her desk, pulling out a piece of paper and writing something down. “Here’s my number. Text me later and we can pick what piece we’re going to play!” 

Yachi turned once more, grabbing her bag from the floor and making her way to exit the classroom. She stopped once more to give a wave and Wakumi blushed and waved back. Once the girl was gone, she let out a sigh.

Shouyou had just watched the whole scene play out with knowing eyes and then he was suddenly breaking out into laughter. 

“Sho, it’s not funny,” grumbled Wakumi. 

“Dude of course it is. You do realize Yachi has been playing piano since she was like 6 and she’s all like wOoOsh, while you said you just started and you’re so not woosh.” 

“Don’t be getting smart with me now Sho. I really don’t need it.” 

“Come on you have to admit it was a little funny.” Wakumi rolled her eyes.

“Now if you excuse me, I’m gonna go panic and figure out what I’m gonna do about the showcase.” 

Standing up, Wakumi grabbed her back and started walking out of the classroom and down the hallway. Without looking behind her she could hear Hinata yelling.

“I’M SORRY FOR LAUGHING WAKUMI, PLEASE FORGIVE ME! OH AND DON’T FORGET TO CALL ME AFTER YOU WATCH THE NEW EPISODE OF ONE PIECE!” 

She smiled as she walked the rest of the way down the hallway but then realized she had no clue what to do about Yachi.

**

“So you’re telling me that you’ve been teaching his kid how to play piano before you even found out why he ghosted you for all these years!” Yelled Oikawa over the phone and Akaashi winced at the sudden change in volume.

“Yes Tooru, I am. Wakumi is a really talented kid and I can tell she’s extremely passionate about playing.” 

A sigh could be heard on the other end of the line and Akaashi waited for him to reply. Technically Tooru owed him a favor and it was about time he cashed it in. 

“Fine Keiji-Chan, you win. I’ve never heard you boast about someone unless they’re really good, so I’ll take your word for it. I’ll fly in tomorrow.” 

“Wait a minute Tooru. What do you mean you’ll  _ fly in tomorrow. _ ” 

“It’s exactly what it sounds like! I can’t teach over facetime. Especially with the time difference. Me and Iwa-chan will just fly out there and come stay with you. Simple.” 

“Don’t you think that’s a little… extreme?”

“Nope,” said Oikawa, popping the p to give his statement more emphasis. “You asked for my help and this is what you’re gonna get, plus I miss you. Take it or leave it.” 

Akaashi was silent as he thought about if he really wanted to deal with Oikawa causing multiple scenes while here in America. But he also thought of Wakumi and knew that he wasn’t as good a teacher as Oikawa and if she wanted to be able to play well enough in time for the showcase, Oikawa was her best bet. 

“Alright fine,” Akaashi smiled as he heard Oikawa cheer. “But promise you won’t cause me any problems.” 

“Sorry Keiji-chan, no promises! Hugs and kisses! I’ll see you tomorrow, love you!” 

“Love you too Tooru.” 

After the line went dead, Akaashi threw himself on the bed of the hotel and stared at the ceiling. Looking at his phone once more, he scrolled through his contacts until he reached Bokuto’s name. He inhaled a sharp breath as he hit call and waited for an answer. 

“ ‘kaashi?” 

“Sorry to call you so suddenly Bokuto-san but I was wondering if I could talk to Wakumi for a moment.” 

“Yeah sure…um let me get her for you.”

Akaashi could hear voices speaking in the background, though they were faint. 

“Hey Akaashi!” 

“Hi Wakumi, I was wondering if I could ask you something.”

“Of course!” 

“So you know how that showcase is about a month and a half away,” Akaashi waited to continue until he heard a hum of understanding. “Well the piece you picked is a little hard to learn in that short of time with my teaching skills but I fortunately know someone who can help.” 

“Do you not want to teach me anymore?” Akaashi noticed the sadness in the girl's voice and it broke his heart.

“No of course not! I love teaching you but my friend is a way better teacher than I am. I’ll still be there during the lesson of course, he’s just coming to help me. Is that okay?” The line became quiet and it worried him. “You can always say no Wakumi, there’s no pressure in this.”

“You’ll be there still?” 

“Yes, of course I’ll be there.” 

“Then…okay! Yeah, I’m okay with that.” 

“Great! Tooru is going to be flying in tomorrow so if you would like, you can come meet him at the airport with me.”

“Cool, I wanna go! Wait did you say Tooru?” 

“Yeah?” 

“As in… Oikawa Tooru?”

“Yes, why?” 

Sudden shrieking could be heard and Akaashi was puzzled. 

“No way! You know Oikawa Tooru! That’s so cool! Oh my god… Oikawa Tooru is gonna teach me piano! That’s amazing!”

“You know who Tooru is?” 

“Yes, of course I do! Oh my gosh I love him, I watch all his YouTube videos!” Akaashi silently sighed as he remembered Oikawa’s weirdly popular Youtube channel that he and Iwaizumi helped him create.

“Oh that makes sense. Well, they’ll fly in around two o’clock tomorrow. Are you out of school by then?” 

“Yeah, we’re done at one thirty.”

“Great, I can pick you up from school if that’s okay with your dad.”

“It should be, you can talk to him if you want.” 

“Thanks Wakumi, I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Bye Akaashi!” 

Akaashi waited for the phone to be handed back to Bokuto.

“Hello?”

“Bokuto-san, is it okay if I pick Wakumi up from school tomorrow? I’m having a friend fly in to help me teach.” 

“Oh um that’s fine...actually that’s really cool.” Akaashi blushed at Bokuto’s sudden comment.

“Thank you, I’ll bring her back when we pick them up from the airport.” 

“Akaashi wait I- I was wondering if we could actually talk too tomorrow. Well it doesn’t have to be exactly tomorrow, I could be the next day or the day after that. It could be next weekend if that’s best for you-“ Akaashi chuckled and cut the rambling man off. 

“Yes Bokuto-san, I would love to talk with you. Maybe not tomorrow because Tooru and Hajime need to settle in, but I’m free the next day.” 

“Oh wow! That’s great, okay good! Okay um I’ll talk to you tomorrow ‘kaashi! Goodnight!” 

“Goodnight Bokuto-san.”

Akaashi hung up the phone and continued staring at the ceiling. It was strange to hear Bokuto speak more comfortably with him. Yes he was glad that he was comfortable, but the weight of wondering what Bokuto wanted to talk about is almost becoming too much. Maybe he’ll finally understand what had put an end to their friendship all those years ago. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oikawa arrives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so i totally didn't realize this until now but even tho the story takes place in america, i'm still gonna use the honorifics just cause 
> 
> italicized words are french (i don't speak french so I've been using google translate)   
> non italicized is english 
> 
> this is completely unedited so if there's any mistakes, i'm very sorry lol

“Isn’t it basically about a guy banging his mom?” a voice yelled from the back of the classroom. Laughter erupted at the sound of the comment, Wakumi even giggled a bit herself before going back to looking over her sheet music.

“Nishinoya, what did I say about using that kind of language in the classroom?” 

“Sorry, Mr. Sugawara.” The teacher is silent for a moment before he begins speaking once more. 

“Yes, you could look at it as some guy banging his mom,” Laughter filled the room once more but quickly hushed as Sugawara kept speaking. “But, there’s a deeper meaning to it; there always is when it comes to old dude writing.” 

“Mr. Sugawara!” Another voice interrupted him, but this time it was the redhead that sat in the front of the classroom.

“Yes, Hinata?”

“Why do we have to keep reading stories like these when it’s always so hard to understand the ‘deeper meaning’?” Hinata asked while making air quotes to make his point. 

“Hinata you dumbass! It’s hard because we’re supposed to be strengthening our minds and whatnot. You wouldn’t know that though, cause you don’t have one!” yelled Kageyama from the seat directly behind Hinata. 

“Kageyama, what did I just say about language in the classroom. I don’t care what you say outside of this room but no cursing while you’re in here!”

“Sorry,” muttered Kageyama while Hinata laughed at his misfortune.

“Now, as I was saying-” 

Just as Sugawara was about to continue his lesson about Oedipus and how it’s not just about him banging his mom, the bell rang, cutting his lesson short.

“Alright guys, no homework for tonight except for getting an independent reading book for class! Have a great weekend!” 

The kids grabbed their bags and filtered out of the room, too excited to hang around when it was finally the weekend. All except for one. 

Wakumi still sat at her desk, immersed in whatever she was reading on the paper she was holding to have noticed that the bell had run. 

“Wakumi?” The girl jumped at the sudden sound of a voice. Looking up, she saw Mr. Sugawara looked at her with concern on his face. “What are you still doing sitting here?”

“Oh,” she blushed in embarrassment. “I guess I got distracted, sorry.” 

“That’s alright, I just don’t want you to miss the bus is all.” 

“Actually I’m not taking the bus today.” 

“Oh really? Got anything fun planned?” asked Mr. Sugawara as he moved to his desk to gather his things. 

“Yeah! I’m going to the airport with Akaashi - he’s one of dad’s friends - to pick up his friend from the airport! He’s gonna help Akaashi teach me how to play piano!” She exclaimed excitedly.

“That sounds lovely Wakumi!” He began walking to the school’s exit and Wakumi followed close behind. “Wait, did you say Akaashi?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I actually knew him, I’m not sure if he considered me as a friend; I did though.” Chuckled Mr. Sugawara.

“Right! I forgot that you knew my dad then. What was Akaashi like back in high school?” asked Wakumi curiously. 

“Well, I only ever saw him during training camps so that’s when we got to talk but back then I could see that he was kind of quiet. Regardless, you could tell that he gave it his all when playing volleyball. I also remember how he was extremely close with you dad.” 

“Huh” was all that Wakumi said. She wondered why Akaashi and her father acted so strangely around each other when they apparently used to be close friends. 

**

Pulling up to Wakumi’s school in his rental car, Akaashi found himself feeling quite anxious for some reason. It was probably from all the caffeine he had consumed this morning, but if he was being honest with himself, the sudden nervousness was most likely because of Oikawa. 

Yes he was that one that decided to call Oikawa and ask them to fly out to help him teach but now he’s suddenly dreading it. Oikawa had no filter and although it was funny at times to hear the things that would come out of his mouth, Akaashi didn’t find it that funny when it was directed at him.

When Akaashi had moved to France and became close friends with Oikawa and Iwaizumi, he couldn’t help but let out his frustrations with what was happening with Bokuto. How couldn’t he? He was in a new country with a mother who basically shut down after the death of his father and now his best friend wasn’t speaking to him anymore. 

They knew all about his school days with Bokuto. They knew that they had lunch together in the old music room, the extra volleyball practice he would endure just to make Bokuto happy, and he even mentioned the slight attraction he’d felt for the older boy. 

That’s what he’s most worried about. What if the truth about his old crush slipped out? Akaashi didn’t even know if Bokuto liked guys. Back then he never mentioned anything about guy crushes but yet again, he never said anything about girl crushes either. There was one factor that didn’t help his case.

Bokuto had a child.

But she’s not just some child. Akaashi had gotten to know Wakumi quite well in such a short span of time and he honestly was very fond of the young girl. Wakumi was a very talented girl with an amazingly bright personality when she let it show and he’s happy to be teaching her. 

Really, the fact that such a secret might slip shouldn’t even be bothering him. He didn’t even feel that way anymore, they’re been apart for too many years. Sure there’s a slight possibility that Bokuto could be bisexual but just because most of their friends growing up have ended up being gay, doesn’t mean that Bokuto is. 

Akaashi was pulled out his thoughts when he noticed Wakumi coming out of the school building with whom looked like one of her teachers. Before he could get a good look at the man the two said goodbye at the doors, going their separate ways.

When Wakumi spotted him she jogged towards him, making her way to the passenger side of the vehicle. 

“Hey Akaashi!” The girl exclaimed as she settled into the seat next to him, placing her book bag on the floor near her feet and fastening the seat belt. 

“Hello Wakumi, how was school today?” 

“It was pretty normal. Me and Yachi got to practice together during music class for a bit so that was cool.”

The two continued speaking, reminiscing about their days. Akaashi’s days aren’t nearly as exciting as Wakumi’s but the girl seems to appreciate his tales of rediscovering parts of his hometown nonetheless.

The drive to the airport was a quiet one once the conversation died down. It soon picked back up though once the airport was in sight. 

He could tell Wakumi was nervous to meet Oikawa. From what the girl has told him, she really admires the older pianist. Akaashi knows she has absolutely nothing to worry about considering that Oikawa has a soft spot for children and people who stroke his ego. Still, the young girl fidgets in her seat. 

** 

The meeting spot that was decided upon ended up being the airport parking lot. They quietly waited; all that could be heard was the sound of the heater and a new pop song that Akaashi didn’t know the lyrics to play on the radio. It was peaceful and comfortable, but cut short when a yell broke their comfortable silence. Looking up, the two saw Oikawa swiftly walking towards their car, Iwaizumi not far behind. 

Unbuckling his seat belt, Akaashi moved to leave the vehicle. 

“Do you want to wait a moment to come say hello or do you want to come now?” Asked Akaashi, knowing how nerve racking meeting new people can be. 

“I’m okay to come now.” Responded Wakumi shyly. Akaashi smiled softly and then fully emerged from the car.

“Keiji-chan!” Oikawa began running towards him, dropping his suitcase and leaving it for Iwaizumi to collect. Though Akaashi wanted to sprint to his friend, he decided it would probably be a better idea to not show how much he really missed Oikawa (God knows it would go directly to his head). _“I’ve missed you!”_

_“Tooru, you do realize I’ve only been gone for not even a full month and you were the one to suggest me coming back in the first place.”_

_“I know,”_ Oikawa pouted at Akaashi’s remark. _“But that still doesn’t change the fact that I missed you!”_ Oikawa threw his arms around Akaashi’s shoulders and Akaashi smiled warmly, returning the embrace. 

_“Oi Shittykawa, don’t just run off and leave me here with your bag!”_ After walking towards the two men, Iwaizumi dropped Oikawa’s bag and slapped the back of his head. 

_“Ow! Iwa-chan that hurt!”_

_“You kind of deserved it Tooru,”_ chuckled Akaashi. 

Akaashi embraced Iwaizumi before turning back to face Wakumi who was standing awkwardly behind him. Gesturing for her to come closer and say hello, Wakumi now stood at Akaashi’s side. 

“Ah, so you’re Akaashi’s pupil that I’ve been hearing so much about,” Bending down so he was at Wakumi’s eye level, Oikawa held out his hand. Blushing at the comment, Wakumi nodded and shook his hand. “That grumpy looking guy over there is my boyfriend Iwa-chan,” Oikawa pointed over his shoulder to where Iwaizumi stood giving a small wave. “And as you probably know, I’m Oikawa Tooru! You can just call me Oikawa bu _t professeur_ is good too!”

“P-professeur?” 

“Yeah! It means teacher!” proclaimed Oikawa as he straightened himself and proudly placed his hands on his hips. 

“Don’t get so full of yourself Asskawa.” said Iwaizumi after punching his boyfriend in the arm.

“Ow Iwa-chan! Why do you keep hitting me!” A pout was now placed on Oikawa’s face and Akaashi laughed at the sight of his friend’s bickering. 

Next to him, Wakumi began giggling, which was quite surprising considering that most of the time when people first see Oikawa and Iwaizumi “fighting” they become awkward and don’t know how to react. 

Oikawa seemed to notice Wakumi’s sudden fit of laughter and smiled to himself. 

“Now, is my little _étudiante_ ready to practice?”

“Yes _professeur_!” Declared Wakumi brightly.

“Ah I rather like this one,” said Oikawa as he picked up his luggage and began moving to the back of the car. 


End file.
